10 Reasons to Move to Greenwich, CT 2023 (by a local)

Are you thinking of moving to Greenwich, Connecticut? I’ve lived in Greenwich for over a decade now and these are the reasons why I love living in Greenwich, CT.

Here are 10 reasons to move to Greenwich, Connecticut.

Want to know how much it costs to live in Greenwich, CT? Check out our Greenwich Cost of Living Calculator

Reasons to Move to Greenwich, CT- The Beach
Reasons to Move to Greenwich, CT- The Beach

10 Reasons to Move to Greenwich, CT

1. Greenwich has Low Property Taxes

One of the main reasons why I moved to Greenwich is the low property taxes. Greenwich has one of the lowest property taxes in Fairfield County.

When I was house hunting, I compared Greenwich property taxes to neighboring Westchester County towns and was amazed at how low Greenwich property taxes are! 

Greenwich has one of the lowest property taxes in Fairfield County because it has one of the lowest mill rates (check out our article explaining Connecticut Mill rates).  And if you compare Greenwich to neighboring Westchester County towns, the gap in property taxes is considerable.

For example, if you compare the property tax of a $1 million home in Scarsdale, NY versus the property tax of a $1 million dollar home in Greenwich, CT, you are really save a lot by living in Greenwich! Greenwich property taxes are a lot lower than the real estate taxes in Westchester.

The real estate tax for a $1.0 million home in Greenwich ranges between $7,500-$9,500 per year while property taxes for a $1.0 million home in Scarsdale ranges between $23,500-$30,000.  The difference is significant!

When we were looking at homes in Greenwich versus Westchester County, the decision to move to Greenwich became obvious to us when we found out we were saving more than $10,000 in taxes every year just by living in Greenwich!

Want to know how Connecticut Property Taxes are calculated? Check out our article: How to Calculate Property Taxes in Greenwich.

2. Greenwich is very near New York City (45 minutes away)

Most people have the impression that Greenwich is far from NYC because it’s in Connecticut. However, that’s a common misconception. In fact, Greenwich is only 45 minutes away from NYC.

Greenwich is a 45-minute train ride from Greenwich to New York’s Grand Central on the Metro-North express trains. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who live in Greenwich and commute to Manhattan for work. My husband does the commute from Greenwich to NYC and it’s a very doable, easy commute.

And by living in Greenwich, you have the convenience of not only one Metro North train station- but four Metro North stations to choose from, plus you are not far away from the Westchester stations either!

If I’m running late and trying to catch the train, I sometimes chase the train and end up catching it in Rye or Port Chester! It’s so convenient to live in Greenwich when you are commuting to NYC. Wherever you live in Greenwich, you are never far from a train station!

Driving from Greenwich to Manhattan is also very convenient. The drive from downtown Greenwich to Midtown Manhattan is only an hour and 7 minutes. It’s an easy drive down I-95 South. Or, if you are like me, just catch an Uber into the city.

I love that by living in Greenwich, we live close enough to New York City that we can easily take the train in for dinner or to watch a show. I’ve taken the kids after school to watch Harry Potter on Broadway!

3. Beautiful Greenwich Beaches and Private Islands

The Greenwich beaches are one of the main reasons why I moved to Greenwich. Greenwich residents are lucky, they have access to not just one beach but two beaches and two islands!  

Greenwich residents are spoiled. Not just because of the private islands but because the beaches are never crowded! Sure, non-residents can buy day passes and parking passes but it’s expensive and not easy to buy so I don’t think we get a lot of non-resident visitors (I could be wrong!)

The two beaches in Greenwich are Greenwich Point Park (also called Tod’s Point) and Byram Beach. Great Captain Island and Island Beach are the Town of Greenwich islands.

Greenwich Point Park (Tod’s Point Beach) in Old Greenwich, CT

Greenwich Point Park is a local favorite in Greenwich. The locals call Greenwich Point Park- Tod’s Point. Tod’s Point is a beautiful beach located in the Old Greenwich section of town.

It’s easy to spend the day at Tod’s Point beach, lounging, biking or kayaking. There is a lot to do at Tod’s point. There is a bike trail. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards at Greenwich Community Sailing.

I like to take the kids to check out the touch tank at the Bruce Museum Seaside Center. The Bruce Museum Seaside Center runs daily activities like fish feeding, and fish seining.

My kids love fish seining and learned a lot about all the types of fish on Long Island Sound!

I feel so lucky to live in Greenwich because it’s such a nice lifestyle. I love taking the kids to Tod’s Point Beach they always end up making friends! They will play with the other kids at the beach, catch hermit crabs, build sand castles and run to the concession stand for ice cream.

It’s very social at the beach. I usually bump into a neighbor, parents from school or someone from around town. It’s one big playdate for both the kids and adults!

Even on weekdays, it’s common to see families meet at the beach for a picnic dinner or dinner at the patio overlooking Long Island Sound. My husband will come home from work and meet us for a pizza dinner at the beach. You just can’t beat the lifestyle of being so close to the beach and yet only 45 minutes away from New York City!

Bruce Museum Seaside Center Seining for fish
Seining for Fish at Tod’s Point (Naturalist-led activity by the Bruce Museum Seaside Center)

Byram Beach in Greenwich, CT

Byram Beach is another Greenwich beach located in the Byram section of Greenwich. The beach is smaller than the beach at Greenwich Point Park but it has an amazing pool.

The town and the Junior League of Greenwich raised $6.8 million to build the Greenwich town pool. Greenwich residents are lucky to have such a beautiful pool with amazing views of Long Island Sound.

The Greenwich town pool is big, consisting of two pools (kiddie and a zero-entry lap pool), a splash pad, a concession stand, bathrooms and lockers.

Aside from the pool and the beach, Greenwich residents can enjoy the playground at Byram Beach (it has amazing Long Island Sound views), tennis courts and marina. If you are a boating enthusiast, you can even join the Byram Shore Boat Club.

Greenwich Town Pool at Byram Beach
Town Pool at Byram Beach

Great Captain Island and Island Beach

Aside from the beaches, Greenwich residents also have access to two private islands- Great Captain Island and Island Beach. The town of Greenwich runs a daily ferry service to Island Beach during the summer months.

It is always a treat to get on the ferry to Island Beach. The experience always feels like you are going on a mini-vacation yet you are only minutes from downtown Greenwich.

You can easily spend the day at Island Beach, enjoying the beautiful beach, playground, grills, picnic tables, and concession stand.

Great Captain Island is another private island for Greenwich residents. The town of Greenwich runs a ferry service to Great Captain Island. It is less developed than Island Beach and lacks a concession stand.

Aside from hopping on a ferry and spending the day at the private Greenwich islands, you can get overnight camping permits at these private islands.

Families apply for overnight camping permits and they spend the night camping. It is old-fashioned fun and always a blast! I’m going camping on Island Beach this summer so stay tuned for videos and photos on what it’s like to camp on Island Beach!

4. Greenwich has Excellent Schools

One of the reasons why families move to Greenwich is for the public schools. Greenwich Public schools are highly rated. Greenwich School district is always ranked as one of the best school districts in Connecticut.

There are 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school in Greenwich. Many of these schools are award-winning magnet schools.

Greenwich is also home to some of the top private schools in Connecticut.  Top Connecticut private schools located in Greenwich are Greenwich Academy, Brunswick School, Whitby, and Greenwich Country Day School. 

Greenwich is also 15 minutes away from one of the best private schools in the country, Rye Country Day School.

Plus, for a town of only 60,000 people, Greenwich residents have many preschools to choose from. Greenwich is home to Mencius Mandarin Preschool, the only Chinese Language Immersion Preschool in Fairfield County.

If you are looking into preschools in Greenwich. Check out my Insider’s Guide to Greenwich Preschools.

New Lebanon Elementary School in Greenwich

5. Greenwich is a Family Friendly Town

Another reason why l moved to Greenwich is that it is truly a family-friendly town. If you have kids, you will never get bored living in Greenwich! In fact, the opposite can happen. If you let it, your calendar will be filled with family activities in Greenwich.

Greenwich Youth Programs

There is always something to do in Greenwich. You will find a lot of programs and activities for families. The town offers many recreational sports. 

My kids learned to ice skate through the town’s Ice Skating clinics at the Dorothy Hamill Rink in Byram. You will love Dorothy Hamill Rink, it is the Town of Greenwich indoor ice skating rink, so it’s never crowded!

In the Spring, my kids participate in town softball and baseball programs. There are also field hockey programs, basketball, fencing, dance, soccer- something for every kid! You will have no problem finding activities for your kids!

Family Events in Greenwich, CT

On the weekends, there is usually a family event to attend in Greenwich. One of my favorite Greenwich family events is the Greenwich Reindeer Festival where kids can visit Santa and his reindeers (they actually bring in real-life reindeer). 

Summer Camps in Greenwich, CT 

In the Summer, there is a plethora of summer camp options for kids. You can choose from private summer camp offerings as well as summer camps in the Town of Greenwich. The town of Greenwich summer camps are so popular they are often sold out!

The Sand Piper beach camp is a favorite town camp where kids spend lazy summer days at the beach in Greenwich Point Park doing activities such as nature walks, crabbing and old-fashioned arts and crafts. Children as young as 3 years old can participate in the Sand Piper beach camp.

My kids loved the Sand Piper beach camp, even now, they still talk about how they learned to identify crabs at Sand Piper beach camp!

There is also a good Music, Art, and Dance camp offered by the town at Greenwich High School. Plus the Town of Greenwich offers Kamp Kairphree, which is your traditional full-day summer camp program complete with school bus transportation.

Many of these Greenwich summer camps are convenient for working parents. The best part is these camps are a great value compared to private summer camps!

Greenwich Skate Park

If you have older kids, Greenwich has its very own Skate Park where kids can come with their skateboards, scooters, BMX bikes and spend a few hours perfecting their tricks and having fun.

Arch Street Teen Center

The Arch Street Teen Center is also a popular spot for older kids hosting events and activities for Greenwich teenagers.

There are so many family-friendly activities in Greenwich!

The beaches: why I moved to Greenwich Connecticut
Byram Beach

6. Greenwich has Award Winning Libraries

Greenwich residents are lucky to have four amazing libraries in town- the Byram Shubert Library, Cos Cob Library, Greenwich Library and Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich.

Between the four libraries, Greenwich residents have access to an extensive collection of books, DVDs, CDs and artworks. I think the libraries in Greenwich are comparable to the libraries in Manhattan!

I love borrowing kindle book and audio books from the library especially before I go on a trip or vacation!

My kids love to go to the Children’s room at the main Greenwich library. It’s a great rainy day activity, they can spend hours browsing!

There are also a lot of free library programs. Each library has its own children’s program ranging from Baby Lapsit to Spanish Read-Alound to Lego Building Class.

When my kids were younger, I filled up my week by attending various library programs. I’d take my kids to the baby lapsit program at Greenwich library. I met other local moms at the library!

I also took my kids to Lego Playtime where they built lego creations and got to keep the Lego pieces! Plus we attended foreign language read aloud classes at Greenwich library- they had Spanish Read Aloud Classes and Chinese Read Aloud Classes!

The best part about the Greenwich Library programs is that its free! Plus they even have school vacation week programs as well!

There are also programs for adults at Greenwich Library. Adults can enjoy free lectures, free Friday night movies, Meet the Author evenings, and free concerts at the library.

You will be impressed with the caliber of speakers and authors that come to the library! Greenwich residents are lucky to have access to such an amazing resource right in town.

7. Lots of Recreation in Greenwich

Another reason why I love living in Greenwich is no matter what you are interested in most likely you can do it in Greenwich.

If you are interested in sports whether it be golfing, biking, boating, shooting, skating, or tennis, you can do it in Greenwich. If you are into art, Greenwich has the Bruce, an award-winning art museum in town!

For golfers, the town of Greenwich has a public golf course, for a minimal fee you can golf at a country club-caliber course! In the winter months, Greenwich residents can ice skate at Dorothy Hamill’s indoor ice skating rink (it’s never crowded!). If you want to ice skate outdoors, there is also an outdoor ice skating rink in town through Greenwich Skating Club.

If your kids are into skateboarding, there is a skate park in town for kids and teenagers. There are also plenty of town tennis courts, paddle courts, playgrounds and parks that are open year-round.

For art lovers, you will feel at home at the Bruce Museum. You can even join the various clubs at the Bruce Museums to meet other like-minded art lovers. Greenwich is also home to local museums such as the Greenwich Audubon Center, Greenwich Botanical Center and the Bush Holly House Museum.

If you are looking to join a country club, there are many private country clubs and yacht clubs in Greenwich. If you are into shooting, you can join the Cos Cob Revolver and Rifle Club, a local gun club

The best part is that all of these recreational facilities are for a town of only 60,000 people, so nothing is ever crowded. The Town of Greenwich facilities is clean and well-maintained.

The beaches and playgrounds are never crowded. Even the public ice skating sessions are never crowded!

Are you looking into Country Clubs in Greenwich? We asked members to give us the inside scoop. Check out our article: Insider’s Guide to Country Clubs in Greenwich, CT

Byram Beach Playground in Greenwich CT

8. Greenwich has a lot of Restaurants

If you are a foodie, you will be happy living in Greenwich. Greenwich is home to many restaurants offering a wide range of cuisine types. Whether you are craving Thai food, Italian, Tapas, or crepes, there is something for you! T

here are restaurants in downtown Greenwich, on Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich, and along Putnam Avenue (Route 1).  There are quick-service restaurants such as Cava to Asian chains like Tengda to fine dining establishments such as Thomas Henkelmann. 

In addition to local restaurants, Greenwich is a few minutes from the restaurants in Port Chester, NY, and Stamford, CT.

Are you looking for restaurant recommendations in Greenwich? We asked local Greenwich residents for their favorite restaurants. Here are the 15 Most Recommended Restaurants in Greenwich, CT

9. Lots of Stores in Greenwich: You don’t have to go to Manhattan to Shop

Greenwich is home to many retail stores and food shops that you’d normally find in Manhattan. Greenwich Avenue is lined with shops that you typically find in Manhattan. 

Wide Variety of Stores on Greenwich Avenue

There is a Hermes store on Greenwich Avenue, 4 different Saks 5th Avenue stores (main store, shoes, contemporary and jewelry) and boutique stores ranging from Theory to Lilly Pulitzer to Lululemon. 

It’s convenient living in Greenwich because you don’t have to go to NYC to shop. Plus Greenwich shoppers enjoy the lower Connecticut sales tax!

I love that many of the stores I go to in New York City are also in Greenwich. Why shop in Manhattan when I can shop on Greenwich Avenue. Plus I save money because the sales taxes are lower in Connecticut!

Greenwich Sidewalk Sale

Every year, the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce organizes a sidewalk sale in July where there are unbelievable deals.  It is such a popular event that Westchester and other Fairfield County residents shop the Greenwich Sidewalk Sale. 

Wide Variety of Grocery Stores in Greenwich

Greenwich is also home to several Manhattan food store chains.  You will find Citarella and Balducci’s on Putnam Avenue. Greenwich also has your traditional grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop and Acme.

You really don’t need to go to Manhattan to shop, everything is right in Greenwich!

Greenwich sidewalk sale
Greenwich Sidewalk Sale

10. Lots of Events in Greenwich

You can definitely fill up your days and weekends attending events in Greenwich. Greenwich is host to so many events- charity event and town events.

Greenwich Town Party

Probably the most popular event in Greenwich is the Greenwich Town Party. Every summer, residents attend the Greenwich Town Party.  It is so popular that tickets sell out within minutes.  

The town party is a full-day event with bands, children’s activities, and food trucks.  Past headliners have included Earth Wind and Fire, Hall and Oates, Steely Dan and Eric Clapton.

Greenwich Reindeer Festival

In the winter, you can bring the family to see real-life reindeers at the annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival. It is usually held in Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses where you can get your photos taken with Santa, visit the reindeers and shop at the Christmas village.

Greenwich Wine + Food

If you are a foodie, you can attend the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival. It’s always a fun event- sampling food and drinks from local restaurants, meeting and watching celebrity chefs, and listening to live music.

Charity Luncheons and Galas in Greenwich CT

There are also many fundraisers in town, ranging from luncheons to black tie galas to children’s fashion shows all benefiting local non-profit organizations.

My favorite charity luncheon is the Old Bags Luncheon by the YWCA! It’s always a fun event where the guests wear fascinators and hats and thousands of dollars are raised to help YWCA’s domestic abuse program.

Final Thoughts on Why You Should Move to Greenwich, CT

I’ve lived in Greenwich for over a decade now and I cant imagine living anywhere else. I’m so happy I moved to Greenwich because it’s a town where you can have the best of everything- close to NYC and close to the beach!

I also love that Greenwich is a big enough town that I get to meet new people, yet still small enough to bump into familiar faces at the Whole Foods, on Greenwich Avenue or at the beach.

If you are still on the fence about moving to Greenwich, CT. Don’t be! Aside from saving thousands of dollars on real estate taxes, you will enjoy a great lifestyle! Greenwich is a great place to live in!

You May Also Be Interested in:

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Greenwich? Check out our Cost of Living Calculator

Reasons to Move to Byram Section of Greenwich, CT

If you are looking for more resources about Greenwich (interviews with locals, commute, schools, etc.) We have a Greenwich page.

Do you know we interview locals? Get an inside peek into the lives of Greenwich residents:

Greenwich Mother-Daughter Power Duo: Grace Djuranovic and Cricket Lockhart

A Glimpse in Jordan Rhodes’ Greenwich Life

Junior League of Greenwich President Elizabeth Peyton’s Life in Greenwich, CT

Why Alessandra Messineo Long loves living in Greenwich, CT

About Suburbs 101

Suburbs 101 is an online lifestyle guide for the New York Suburbs of Westchester County, Long Island, Fairfield County and Northern New Jersey.  Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in the New York suburbs through our interviews with local suburbanites and features on Food, Fashion, Home, Travel, and Local Events. Be sure to Follow Us on InstagramLike Us on Facebook and subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter.

Suburbs 101 participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates Program and may earn from qualifying purchases. ​

Sharing is caring!

Scroll to Top